Steph Curry’s Availability and Team Readiness

Steph Curry, the star player of the Golden State Warriors, was not seen at the postgame podium following Thursday night’s win against the New York Knicks. However, the team is confident that he will not miss any games.

“Steph, he’s good, yeah,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr after Friday’s practice. “He’s fine for Saturday’s game against the Hornets.”

The Warriors have been performing well recently, securing 10 wins out of their last 14 games. Curry has played a significant role in this success, averaging 26.9 points per game and 6.2 assists during this period.

Despite avoiding a serious injury, forward Gui Santos suffered a left ankle sprain during the victory over the Knicks. He will not play on Saturday, and according to Kerr, it doesn’t seem like a severe sprain.

“It’s a big loss, the energy, the offensive rebounding, but also the size, when we go to him and Gary Payton II, we’re generally playing him at the four next to Draymond,” Kerr explained.

Santos has become an essential part of the rotation over the past 10 games, averaging 3.2 rebounds in around 16 minutes per game. His hustle plays have had a significant impact, even though his statistics don’t fully reflect it.

Other than Santos, the Warriors are expected to be at full strength for Saturday’s game.

The Importance of Practice

Coach Steve Kerr comes from the 1990s era, where teams practiced regularly even during the middle of the season. In today’s NBA, with schedules that rarely allow for extended breaks between games, practices are much less frequent than Kerr would prefer.

During the team’s current eight-game homestand, which includes short breaks between games, Kerr has made sure to take advantage of the opportunity to conduct as many practices as possible.

“There is good reason for this,” Kerr said. “We’re sharper for what we did for just over 20 minutes. It may not seem like much, but it matters, just to clean up little details, they go into the game tomorrow a little sharper with our execution.”

Practicing while traveling is more challenging, so Kerr is grateful for the chance to hold practices whenever the schedule allows.

Horford Finding His Rhythm

The long homestand has not only provided the coaching staff with more opportunities for practices but has also helped Al Horford find his rhythm after dealing with injuries and restrictions early in the season.

“I’m just not really overthinking plays, and I’m just going out there and playing and executing the things I need to do,” Horford said. “You get into a routine and you can stay consistent, and avoiding those back-to-backs are always helpful, since I can’t play them.”

Horford has played in the past six games, with the Warriors’ last back-to-back being on January 2 and January 3, where he played the first game and sat the second. He has made 8 of 23 three-pointers during this stretch.